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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · row · drill · lean · ground · ball · cap · board

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. drill — army training
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — of ice
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — a line
  10. board — a committee
  11. firm — decided
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — steady
  14. cap — a hat
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lean — thin
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. drill — a practice
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lean — to bend
  23. firm — a company
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com